Monday, May 12, 2008

Carcassone: The Discovery

While I'm not a fan of Carcassone, Hunters and Gatherers makes my Top 10 list of games, every time. The Discovery is another game in the series, incompatible with the previous games. While gameplay is identical, scoring is VERY different and this sets Discovery apart from the other two.

Each player only has four pieces (a fifth is used for scoring) which incidentally look like little KKK Clansmen. There are three terrain types -- plains, mountains, sea -- and you mostly score for being next to cities, instead of the actual terrain you are on. Game play is otherwise identical, with land masses being "closed" off and completed. Scoring only two lands is heavily penalized and not completing terrain is also frowned on.

The new feature to the game is how and when you score. You do not place and score, but rather choose to either place OR score. A Clansman, once placed, remains until the player chooses to remove him. We had to play twice to really get a handle on this.

Scoring is much lower in this version, although we did lap the 50 point board. I give it a 7 for now. But after I play it some more, I might go to an 8. It's definately not a 10, like H&G.

ASIDE: I just realized that my ex stole Lost Cities from me, so I have to order a copy. 1960 by Z-Man games is also on my list of soon to be purchased games. I'm selling a bunch of junk from my closet. Let me know if you need something. And does anyone have a copy of the Aria RPG?

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About Me

Hi. jim pinto here. I'm a game designer (writer, editor, art director), but this has nothing to do with gaming…

I've written 20+ books (including the Largest Book in Roleplaying History, which is as important as being the guy who photocopied the Treaty of Versailles), seven comic books, three self-published works, a screenplay, a novella, lots of ads, and I presently contribute to severeal different blogs, while designing and writing on the side.